Even after terror threats in London, Ball State University students studying abroad at the London Centre are excited to start their fall semester and Ball State will have to do all the worrying for them.
"I never considered not going to London," junior Erin Hamilton said.-รก"I never thought about it because when else am I ever going to get this opportunity again?"
Juniors Rachel Esterday and Tyler Bohlman agree that despite some hesitance by family and friends, there is no use agonizing over safety issues because it is more than likely nothing will happen to them.
"This attempted attack has scared the shit out of people and airport security in London is at an all-time high," Esterday said. "So in an odd way, this is a safe time to fly. Nothing at all suspicious is going to get on those planes; it can't get past security."
According to the Web site for Liberty, a human rights and civil liberties organization in the United Kingdon, there is one Closed Circuit Television surveillance camera for every 14 people in the United Kingdom, and London residents are likely to be on cameras 300 times a day.
Ball State's Center for International Programs also keeps a close watch on its students while they are abroad.
"We are committed to a 24/7 vigil on venues all over the world where our students would be," Director of Center Programs Jim Coffin said. "We are in contact with study abroad directors, people that facilitate our programs, foreign services offices and other universities with similar study abroad programs to get their advice."
In preparation for their programs, CIP holds pre-departure meetings where it recommends that students try not to draw attention to themselves by wearing obvious American clothing, traveling in large groups and participating in "ugly American behavior," Coffin said.
"They've given us informational Web sites to go to to make sure we know that the places we're going to are safe and they've answered any questions we might have about if it's safe or what we can bring," Bohlman said.
All London Centre participants are given cell phones with service in the United Kingdom so they can easily let someone know their comings and goings, especially when they travel out of the country on weekends, Coffin said.
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